Month: October 2018

Call for Editor: Teen Services Competencies Publication

YALSA is seeking an experienced editor for an upcoming publication based on its Teen Services Competencies for Library Staff guideline. The tentative publication deadline is September 2019. The editor will be given a one-time stipend to compile, edit, and write content as needed and work with a group of contributors to produce a cohesive publication.

Applications are due December 1, 2018. December 15, 2018.
Working Title

Teen Services Competencies for Library Staff: A Practical Guide

Project Description

In public libraries, everyone needs the skills and knowledge to serve teens. According to a recent report from IMLS, nearly 7,000 of the nation’s 17,000+ public libraries have a staff of only 1.5 full time employee. Most libraries do not have the luxury of having a dedicated, full time staff person who focuses solely on serving teens.

In 2017, YALSA published an update to its competencies document, “Teen Services Competencies for Library Staff.” These competencies are meant to help libraries of all sizes and capacities provide quality library service in collaboration with teens. Merely having a list of competencies, however, is not enough. Library staff and their supervisors and administrators need help in knowing how to embed the competencies in the work of library staff and how to measure their success in achieving them. This book will examine each of the ten competencies and provide practical examples, suggestions, and resources aimed at front line library staff. The rationale behind the competencies will be addressed as well, to demonstrate how each one contributes to providing excellent service for and with teens.

Predetermined current experts and practitioners in the field of young adult librarianship in both school and public libraries will contribute practical examples, anecdotes, and success stories to illustrate how the competencies work at the building level. These contributions will appear in the body of the text (credited to the contributors). The editor may also have the opportunity to suggest potential contributors/experts if it is determined by both the editor and YALSA that there is a lack of content or expertise for a specific competencies area.

View full project details (manuscript length, table of contents, tentative timeline, etc) here.

Responsibilities

  • Work and liaise with a group of contributors and YALSA staff to meet deadlines and expectations
  • Make revisions based on YALSA feedback
  • Proofreading
  • Write content to fill gaps and build a cohesive document (introductions, sections, headings, table of content, appendices, etc) as needed
  • Compile content from contributors, provide feedback, and keep contributors committed to deadlines
  • Identify and include helpful, practical resources as needed to fill gaps
  • Edit several drafts of manuscript for overall consistency (focus, tone, structure/organization, pacing, language, etc.) and readability
  • Other responsibilities not listed may also be required that will be discussed as they occur

Requirements

  • Must have past editor and/or writing experience for book length (or similar) publications
  • Knowledge of recent developments and trends in library services for and with young adults
  • Read and become familiar with YALSA’s Teen Services Competencies for Library Staff resource
  • Be familiar with YALSA’s mission and organizational plan
  • Have an eye for detail
  • Strong project management and organizational skills
  • Excellent verbal and written communications skills to manage content and communicate with contributors and YALSA Staff
  • Dynamic, self-motivated individual
  • Ability to delegate work and to manage and motivate contributors
  • Ability to set and meet deadlines
  • Ability to work well in a team environment
  • High ethical standards
  • Other requirements may also apply and will be discussed

A full list of responsibilities and requirements will be discussed and provided prior to contractual agreements.

Candidates must send a cover letter and resume via email to Anna Lam at alam@ala.org by December 1, 2018.

Get to Know YALSA Board Members: 5 Questions with Organization & Bylaws Chair Valerie Tagoe

Ever wanted to get to know the YALSA Board of Directors more? Here’s your chance! All month long, we’ll be posting fun mini interviews with each board member so you can get to know them a little better. Here’s the next Director.

Valerie Tagoe is a high school librarian in Texas. She is the immediate past president of the Dallas Association of School Librarians and currently serves on the YALSA Board as the Organization & Bylaws chair. In addition to serving on the board, she is also active in the Texas Library Association as a member of its legislative committee. She holds a B. A. in French with a minor in History from the University of Oklahoma, a Master of Bilingual Education from Southern Methodist University and an MLS from Texas Woman’s University.

YALSA: What does YALSA mean to you?

VT: To me, YALSA means innovation and information for those who serve teens. YALSA provides a means to learn about innovative ways to serve teens along with issues and trends in librarianship. As a high school librarian, I can put into practice what I learn from YALSA webinars and at conferences to help my students meet their educational and personal goals as they move into adulthood and pursue college, career. YALSA also provides insight into current trends and issues in librarianship across the country.

YALSA: What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

VT: My hope is that even with all the budget changes we are seeing in public, academic and school libraries that teens, no matter where they live, have access to teen services at schools and in public libraries, and access to a librarian who can provide instruction, assistance, and programming.

YALSA: What movie have you seen multiple times in theaters?

VT: Black Panther.

YALSA: Name one cool fact about yourself.

VT: I have been to four countries outside the US.

YALSA: Which city is your favorite to travel to and why?

VT: Paris, France is my favorite city. I traveled there for a summer study abroad program at the Sorbonne and just loved all aspects of the city. I wanted to finish my last year of college there then return for graduation.

Transforming Teen Services Train the Trainer: Report from the Field

photos of participants in T3 face-to-face meeting in ChicagoIn July, State Library Agencies (SLAs) were invited by YALSA to apply for the pilot cohort of the Transforming Teen Services: A Train the Trainer Approach (now known as T3) IMLS grant funded initiative. A joint project from YALSA and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, T3 continues the work of the 2018 National Forum on Transforming Teen Services Through Continuing Education by training SLA staff and public library staff to facilitate workshops on implementing coding and computational thinking programming through the lens of connected learning.

Danielle Margarida, Youth Services Coordinator at the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services and Rebecca Ott, Young Adult Librarian at the Tiverton Public Library in Tiverton, Rhode Island threw their hat in the ring and were thrilled when Rhode Island was accepted as one of five states participating in the pilot. As a team, Danielle and Rebecca attended the first T3 meeting in Chicago during first weekend in October with an outstanding group of professionals from Alabama, Maine, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The weekend consisted of activities that were both challenging and fruitful. The cohort spent time working on issues of identity and equity, connected learning, facilitation skills, and ways in which ways in which we’ll help our colleagues statewide recognize and integrate connected learning into daily librarianship, programming, and services to teens.
Continue reading Transforming Teen Services Train the Trainer: Report from the Field

Get to Know YALSA Board Members: 5 Questions with Presidential Advisory Taskforce Director Ryan Moniz

Ever wanted to get to know the YALSA Board of Directors more? Here’s your chance! All month long, we’ll be posting fun mini interviews with each board member so you can get to know them a little better. Here’s the next Director.

First, a little background on Presidential Advisory Taskforce Director Ryan Moniz:

Early on in my career I realized that what motivates me is providing all members of my community, regardless of personal limitations or disabilities, with opportunities to learn, succeed, and improve their quality of life. I have more than 10 years of experience in strategic planning, project management, program development, instructional design, community outreach, along with public speaking and have had a fulfilling career because I have chosen to work for organizations that give back to their community.

YALSA: What does YALSA mean to you?

RM: I’ve always thought of YALSA as a compass for not just library professionals working with teens, but anyone who is committed to serving teens and youth in their community. It can guide both individuals and organizations down the sometimes challenging road of teen customer service. It’s a group of bright minds and passionate people who are committed to doing their part to make the library world a more equitable place for teens and it stands tall as a positive model for our library peers.

YALSA: What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

RM: I’d like to see more of an emphasis placed on teen spaces when designing new library branches. I’ve grown tired of visiting library systems across North America only to see teen spaces no bigger than a broom closet. We put so much thought into the design of children’s spaces but for some reason completely forget about teens. It would be refreshing to see library systems actually consult with teens in the community to get an understanding of what it is that they want, not just what a bunch of senior managers in a room think they want.

YALSA: What was your favorite band as a teen?

RM: I was obsessed with Blink-182. I listened to them to and from school, while I was showering, making food, and doing homework. I was especially obsessed with their album “The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show” since it was a live album and I could close my eyes and pretend I was actually at the concert. Their music marked so many milestones in my life, but I’ll always remember their song “Not Now” as a bookmark for a defining moment in my life when I left home and all of my closest friends for university. It’s a great track that hits right in the feels.

YALSA: What’s your ultimate comfort food?

RM: Oh without a doubt my go-to comfort food is a serving of butter chicken (extra spicy) with a bowl of chicken biryani (also extra spicy) and a crispy naan. My fiancée and I have a ritual after we return from any trip; we always pick up this exact meal on the way home from the airport and chow down the minute we get home. Nothing like a warm and flavorful meal after a long flight!

YALSA: Which city is your favorite to travel to and why?

RM: My fiancée and I just returned from a road trip in Iceland and I can easily say that Reykjavik has leapfrogged to our favourite city we’ve traveled to thus far. The downtown core of Reykjavik has something for everyone; the food was amazing, the people were friendly, and there’s history around every corner. On our final night there we went out for Indian food and once our bellies were full, we just started walking and taking in the sights. By the end we both chatted about how we could see ourselves living there…so who knows what the future holds!

YALSA President’s Report August-September 2018

Hello Colleagues,

In August, YALSA welcomed our new Executive Director, Anita Mechler. We are very excited to have her with us as we embark on a new round of Strategic Planning.

As you may know, the YALSA Board works year round. Since July we have been creating, discussing & voting on Board documents virtually. The Board decided to pilot holding the Edwards Celebration at the YALSA Symposium starting in 2019.

The Board finished up revisions to the Mission and Vision and developing an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan, as recommended by the Advancing Diversity Taskforce. This document will be posted soon and the EDI Plan will also be published as a standalone document.

We have created a Strategic Planning timeline. The board will be keeping members updated as we make progress through blog posts.

The Board also created a taskforce to Reenvision Teen Read Week and Teen Tech Week into a larger advocacy initiative. This taskforce is already working and will have its recommendations to the Board in April.

The final document we have worked on since July is the Committee Impact Report, which initiates the revamping of our quarterly committee report. This will help celebrate the work of committees and make their work more transparent.

Thank You!

Outreach

YALSA staff and members have had booths at the following conferences:

Relevant Stats & Data

  • September Membership: 4,622 (down 3.6% over September 2017)
  • Funds raised in August: $12,450

 Don’t Forget!

  • The 2018 YALSA YA Services Symposium will take place in Salt Lake City, UT, November 2-4, 2018, at the Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel with a theme of: Zeroing In: Focusing on Teen Needs.Registration is open now and the preliminary program is online.
  • Take a moment to read the full Advancing Diversity Taskforce Report, which is now available!
  • The YALSA Board approved a new version of YALSA’s Competencies. Make sure to check out the YALSAblog to learn more about these competencies. Find out about the upcoming free webinar competencies series here.
  • The Public Library & School Library Collaboration Toolkit, the result of a three-year collaborative effort with members of AASL, ALSC and YALSA, provides information, research, and examples to will help facilitate and incorporate collaborative initiatives. Make sure to check it out!
  • Check out the The Hub for the the latest on YA resources!
  • Check out the Current Projects page to stay updated on what’s going on!

Best,
Crystle Martin
YALSA President 2018-2019

Get to Know YALSA Board Members: 5 Questions with JRLYA Advisory Board and MAE Award Jury Director Kafi D. Kumasi

Ever wanted to get to know the YALSA Board of Directors more? Here’s your chance! All month long, we’ll be posting fun mini interviews with each board member so you can get to know them a little better. Here’s the next Director.

Kafi D. Kumasi is an associate professor of library and information science (LIS) at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, where she teaches in the areas of school library media, urban librarianship, multicultural services and resources and research methods. A Laura Bush 21st century scholar, she holds a PhD from Indiana University, Bloomington and a master’s degree in LIS from Wayne State. Her research interests revolve around issues of literacy, equity and diversity, particularly in urban educational environments spanning K12 and graduate school contexts. Her publications include book chapters, and journal articles in (among others) Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, The Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults, School Libraries Worldwide, School Library Media Research, and Urban Library Journal.

YALSA: What does YALSA mean to you?

KDK: YALSA means that I have a dedicated space to bridge my research around issues of youth, literacy and librarianship with policies and best practices for teen services professionals who ultimately reach young adults through their work in libraries.

YALSA: What are your hopes for the future of teen services?

KDK: I hope that teen services expands in ways that attract young people to get involved with libraries by the sheer relevance and fun that they see possible from existing programs and services that reflect the way they live and learn today.

YALSA: What are the top 3 things on your bucket list?

KDK:

  • Travel the site of a future Olympics to see my daughter compete
  • Create a passive stream of income based on a passion/hobby
  • Visit every city where my son plays a game rookie season as a professional athlete

YALSA: What show do you like to binge watch?

KDK: I recently binge watched all 3 seasons of Insecure in a single weekend. I am absolutely smitten with the fresh take on life for a 30 something Black woman from Inglewood, CA. It has all the things I enjoy in a series and leaves me wanting more.

YALSA: Name one cool fact about yourself.

KDK: I teach Zumba and have a twin brother.

Killin’ It: Murder Mystery at the Library

One of the many things I love about being a librarian is programming! The challenge of creating programs that my teens would love while also engaging them in my library program was a passion. As a Library Media Specialist at a public high school and a Teen Librarian Consultant at a public library, I had to constantly reinvent my library programs so they could stay new and relevant (see program ideas here).  One of my favorite programs was throwing a murder mystery party! After implementing the first one, I learned very quickly that tweens, teens, and adults alike all love a good mystery, and when you throw fun, safety, and food into the mix, they all wanted to be involved.

It Takes Two

At both libraries, the murder mystery turned into two separate programs. Since the theme was Mardi Gras Masquerade, I held a program that allowed students to make masks as well as attend the murder mystery itself. However, they did not have to attend the murder mystery to come make a mask. The mask making program was suggested by the patrons/students and I loved the idea because it gave the attendees who may not have the means to buy a mask or dress up still feel in costume at the murder mystery (dressing up was encouraged, but in no way mandatory). So the mask making program served many purposes: advertisement for the upcoming murder mystery event, a separate library program to get students engaged in the library, and as preparation for the upcoming murder mystery event.

Continue reading Killin’ It: Murder Mystery at the Library

YALSA’s 2018 YA Services Symposium: Salt Lake City Travel Tips & Recommendations

Attending YALSA’s YA Services Symposium in Salt Lake City next week? Here are some tips to help you enjoy your visit to Salt Lake City.

Transportation

If you don’t want to wait for the Sheraton Hotel’s shuttle, you can always take TRAX for $2.50 one way. From Terminal One, take the Green Line to the Courthouse Station. Depart and head south on S Main St. Turn right onto 500 S. And speaking of TRAX, you can ride free inside the city limits when you ride in the free fare zone.

Want alternative means of transportation? Check out Lime Scooters and Bird Scooters. Email Nichole O’Connor (noconnor@ala.org) for a Lime Scooter promo code. For bicycle enthusiasts, check out Green Bikes.

Dining Around

If you are looking to have dinner with a group at the Symposium, YALSA has dine arounds scheduled for Gracie’s and Caffé Molise on Friday and Saturday nights. You can sign up near registration.

Or, ask other attendees and start your own dine around. Salt Lake City offers a variety of eating options. Check out some recommendations below.

Italian
If Italian fare is your thing, check out Tony Caputo’s Deli, Valter’s Osteria, Maxwell’s East Coast Eatery, Settebello  and Caffé Molise. Mexican restaurants include Alamexo, and Chile-Tepin. Spanish style cuisine can be found at Finca. For Mediterranean street food try Spitz.

American/New American
Restaurants with American and New American menus include the Market Street Grill, Red Rock Brewing Co., Squatter’s Pub, The Copper Onion, Tin Angel Café and Whiskey Street.

Vegetarian and Vegan
Vertical Diner and Zest Kitchen and Bar.

Casual Dining
Try Mollie and Ollie, Robin’s Nest, Pretty Bird, R&R BBQ and J-Dawgs.

Sushi
Sushi anyone? Try Itto Sushi and Takashi.

Other favorites include Bodega (Bar), Bruges Waffles and Frites (Belgian), Gracie’s (Gastropub), Himalayan Kitchen, The Melting Pot (Fondue), The Pie (Pizza Delivery), P.F. Chang’s (Chinese) and The Rose Establishment (Café).

Around Town

Ever see Ken Sanders on Antiques Roadshow? Well here’s your chance to visit his store, Ken Sanders Rare Books, just two blocks east of a TRAX station. And check out City Creek Center for some major retail therapy.

Along with the Clark Planetarium, Leonardo Museum, Natural History Museum of Utah, and the City Library, Salt Lake City is home to Temple Square and the Mormon Tabernacle choir. Arriving Thursday night? Choir rehearsals are open to the public every Thursday from 7:30 to 9:30pm in the Tabernacle.

Want to jazz up your Friday night? Attend a Utah Jazz basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies beginning at 7:00pm.

Get Away for a Day

If Utah’s five National Parks are too far away, there are a number of places worth visiting within an hour or two drive from Salt Lake City. Do some hiking and experience wildlife on Antelope Island, a State Park 41 miles north of Salt Lake City. There is a $10 per vehicle entrance fee.

Approximately 40 miles east of Salt Lake City, Park City is known for skiing, the Sundance Film Festival and is home to the Utah Olympic Park. The Park hosted five events during the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games. About 30 minutes from Park City is Midway, home to the Homestead Crater, a geothermal spring, hidden within a 55-foot tall, beehive-shaped limestone rock.

Spiral Jetty, a work of art, is located a little over 100 miles north of Salt Lake City on the Great Salt Lake. While up north, take a visit to the Golden Spike National Historic Site located at Promontory Point. May 10, 2019 will mark the 150th anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad.

Learn more about the programs and events taking place at the YA Services Symposium at www.ala.org/yalsa/yasymposium.

Teen Read Week at Rancho Cucamonga Public Library

Greetings from the Rancho Cucamonga Public Library in Rancho Cucamonga, CA! We are honored to receive this year’s Teen Read Week Grant and are excited to share our plans for our upcoming programs.

Following this year’s Teen Read Week theme “It’s Written in the Stars… READ,” our programs are centered around an outer space theme. We also chose the book Railhead by Philip Reeve (which is set in several galaxies) to be our focal point. With the help of the grant, we will be able to purchase several copies of Railhead, which will be distributed a month prior to our programs to our teens. The goal here is to provide our teens with the reading material so they can discuss and analyze the novel while relating it to their hands-on experiences during the programs.

Continue reading Teen Read Week at Rancho Cucamonga Public Library

YALSAblog Member Manager Sought

A very huge thank you goes out to Allison Renner for all the great work and time she’s put into managing the YALSAblog for the past two years! Thanks so much Allison!

YALSA seeks a Member Manager for the YALSAblog. The volunteer position will be for a one-year term starting December 1, 2018 December 17, 2018 with an option to renew for a second year, based on performance. Resumes and cover letters must be sent via email by November 15, 2018 November 28, 2018 to Anna Lam at alam@ala.org.

The Member Manager will co-lead an advisory board that oversees the preparation of content for the blog and solicits content from the YALSA community. The Member Manager will receive an honorarium of $500 per year plus $1,000 total towards travel to the Annual Conference, Midwinter Meeting, or YALSA’s YA Services Symposium while serving as Member Manager. The Member Manager may choose to allocate all of the $1,000 travel allowance towards one conference or amongst several.

The mission of the YALSAblog is to provide a virtual space for publishing timely information about emerging and new practices for library services for and with teens, to explore practices in related fields relevant to teen services, to raise awareness about appropriate YALSA tools to facilitate innovation in teen services, and to provide resources for members and the library community to support their efforts to continuously improve their overall teen services program.

List of Qualifications:

  1. Membership in YALSA and a passion for YALSA’s mission
  2. Strong project management and organizational skills
  3. Excellent verbal and written communications skills, in order to manage content and communicate with existing and potential content providers and developers.
  4. Experience in web publishing with responsibilities including but not limited to: utilizing video clips, audio, and social media, maintaining a high standard of writing, and ensuring compliance with policies created for the maintenance of the site. Continue reading YALSAblog Member Manager Sought